Caribbean restaurants in New York City are a gem. As a native new yorker, one of the things that keep me a dedicated New Yorker is New York City’s diverse culture. Having diverse cultures creates a massive food and restaurant industry, that I cannot get enough of. In this blog, I will be reviewing Trinciti, a local Caribbean restaurant. Restaurants like Trinciti epitomize New York City’s diverse culture.

New Yorkers are serious about our foodie title.  We enjoy quality food that allows us to have amazing social experiences with our friends and families. For us, it’s not always about how fancy a restaurant, it simply about good quality food. My first best of NYC review features Trinciti. A neighborhood Caribbean restaurant with a loyal following.

Venture out to Neighbourhood Caribbean Restaurants

Most tourists will likely only venture to the popular restaurants with thousands of reviews. Some of them live up to the hype but most of them don’t. True New Yorkers know that the best restaurants are usually off the beaten path of tourists and in the heart of New York’s diverse neighborhoods. 

NYC’s Caribbean Restaurant Culture Influence

In New York City, there is a large population from the Caribbean islands (Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, etc). Each of these islands brings its unique twist on food, along with deep pride in being considered the best Caribbean restaurant in the city. I must divulge that I am Jamaican, so  I do have a bias on Jamaican food being the best. I am sure others would debate me on this.

Despite my high ratings for Jamaican food, I can admit that I enjoy many of the other Caribbean island’s amazing dishes. In particular, I am a big fan of Trinidadian food. They indeed reign supreme in the roti business. Enter Trincity, a Trinidadian restaurant that is the center of Caribbean culture! I recently discovered Trinciti Roti Shop in Ozone Park, Queens. I am very late to this party but glad I made it in.

Trinidad’s Most Popular fast-food: Bake & Shark

My friend has been raving about his recent order of Bake and Shark from Trinciti that I had to try. Coincidentally, I also came across a social media post boasting about how amazing Trinciti was. I finally had the opportunity to visit and test it for myself and let me say, I indeed had the best Bake and Shark I had ever eaten. 

Before I go any further, for those not well versed in Caribbean culture, Bake and Shark is a popular Trinidarinan fast-food sandwich. Most Caribbean cuisine is a mixture of street food and full-course home-cooked meals.

This blog would have to be pages long for me to elaborate on all the dishes on Trinciti’s menu, so for that reason, I am only focusing on the Bake and Shark. You won’t be disappointed with anything you order here. 

Visiting Trinciti: What to Expect

First, when visiting Trinciti be prepared to wait in a long line, like most popular mom-and-pop scale businesses in NYC, if it’s popular there will be a line. This rings true even in the pre-pandemic days. The line moved fairly quickly on a Friday I visited, but I cannot confirm if this is the normal pace. Also, take note that they only serve their popular Bake and Shark Friday-Sunday only. 

Once you make it inside, it is a bit of organized chaos so pay close attention to the signs and ask questions to be sure. There are several lines going on at varied locations inside. Trinciti has a protocol for ordering the Bake and Shark. You must join the dedicated line to line to pre-pay for the Bake and Shark only. There is also a dedicated line to order other menu items outside of Bake & Shark so please pay close attention. 

The lines move at a slow pace due to everyone ordering the entire menu (literally you leave there with bags) and items like doubles are made to specification in front of you. The Bake & Shark line moved impressively fast.

Bake & Shark Review

This  Bake and Shark is nothing like I’ve ever eaten before. The shark is deboned, which is not always the case at similar-style restaurants. It is breaded and fried to crisp perfection and placed on the flaky fried bread (known as bake). There is a significant amount of toppings. You can elect to get the works or specify which toppings you would like. Toppings included choices such as shredded cucumber, pineapple, homemade green hot sauce, cabbage, lettuce, tomato, and a generous amount of tamarind sauce. 

My best friend was adamant that I have to talk about my first bite because this is what she would want to know. The combination of spicy and sweet toppings creates an amazing explosion of flavors in your mouth on the first bite. Mixed with the light flakiness of the bake, it’s truly a delicious taste.

This was certainly the best Bake and Shark I ever had. I did overindulge ordering a few items from the menu. I got the oxtail doubles, phoulorie, and shrimp doubles. 

Everything was delicious. My one complaint is the oxtail doubles had a bone in them. This was odd, considering many usually bite into without opening. Let’s just say if you aren’t careful, you may lose a tooth biting into the oxtail doubles. 

Overall my experience at Trinciti lived up to the hype and I definitely plan to go back again. The staff was friendly and the establishment had a good vibe with customers who appeared to be very loyal. 

If you frequent Caribbean restaurants, you can attest to the lukewarm customer service. At Trinciti, you get great food and great service.

Is this Caribbean Restaurant Worth the Hype? My Recommendation

I would highly recommend this restaurant even if you are not from the Caribbean culture and especially if you are on a vegetarian diet. They offer a multitude of vegetarian choices that adds a unique flavor to your usual repetitive ingredients.  This restaurant earns a rating of 9 in my book.

If you are from New York City and haven’t checked it out yet, you are missing out!  If you are visiting and looking to try something unique, I promise you will go home with a story to tell about Trincity.  Let me know if you check them out and your thoughts!